Page 59 of Blind Devotion
“I know you’re there, Adrien,” she said, pushing off the walls and turning to face me. She looked like a queen commanding her general. “I’m not in the mood. Go away.”
“I’m certain I could get you into the mood.”
“You’re so arrogant.” She shook her head and huffed. “You’re not a very good hitman, you know. Isn’t being able to sneak up on your targets kind of a prerequisite? I was able to pick you out, and I’m more than half-blind.”
Testy. I was in awe of her, more so each day. A fire like hers needed to be worshipped and fed for eternity so that it never went out. What did it say about me that I wanted to be that fuel? It wasn’t even a want. It was a need.
“I told you it was more of a side job, but you’re not a target anymore.”
She snorted. “Just stay away from me.”
She backed up quickly: one, two, three steps. What she didn’t realize was how close she stood to the stairs. She spun around, her foot hovering over the nosing. Then her heel slipped, and her body teetered forward. She cried out, her arms flailing. I didn’t think. I lunged.
One hand snagged onto the sides of her gown. My other wrapped around her collarbone, just above the mounds of her breasts, and hauled her against me. Her back pressed to my front, her bare skin against my shirt, while the curve of her spine cradled my groin. My cock flexed against the feel of her as her skin molded to my grip, almost begging for my touch. She was tense, her breath stuttering.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered against her skin. Slowly, her body relaxed against mine until it was soft and supple.
A flush darkened her pale skin in the somber lighting, working from her neckline up to her cheeks. I wondered how far down it went. We were so close I could see the pulse thrumming along her neck and could hear every hitch of her breath. Feel every shiver.
There was not a patch of skin where I wasn’t electrified by the touch of her. Me, someone who couldn’t stand something as pathetic as the press of an unwanted finger. Yet here she was, practically glued to me, and I yearned for more of her. Her warmth. Her smell. Her presence. Dipping my head, I grazed my nose against her cheek and nuzzled in as she turned in my direction.
She smelled of a gentle breeze wafting in a meadow of wildflowers. The scent consumed me until it was all I could smell. It was simple and sweet, like the memories of better days, and I wanted to bury myself in it.
Her hand tentatively wrapped around my forearm. The contact was delicate and slight, just like the rest of her.
“This could have been your chance,” she said quietly. It seemed to echo in the night.
“For what?” I asked, high on her scent.
“To let me fall to my death.”
“Never. You’re not dying. I won’t let you.”
“Why? It’s all you’ve wanted since we met.”
“Because I’ve decided not to.”
“You decided?” She twisted around in my tight grip, shoving at my forearms. “What about what I want? What about what I decide? Let me go.”
She pushed and thrashed harder. She knocked her fists against me, jostling hard as she sobbed, tears dripping on me. Her breathing turned erratic.
“Hey, hey, hey.” I gave her a little shake to snap her out of whatever panic had taken over, then lifted her into my arms bridal-style. Her hands grappled against my chest. “I can’t let you go on the stairs like this. It’s not safe.”
I needed to get her something more practical to move around with. That long cane that blind people used or maybe a guide dog. Something to help her confidence and avoid these dangers.
“Tell me what you need, Tessa. Tell me and it’s yours.”
“I need…” She sucked in shaky breaths, her fists bunched into my dress shirt. “I need to be outside. Take me outside.”
I kissed her forehead. “Whatever you need, I’ve got you.”
She scoffed. Her breath still hitched, but it was better. “Do you actually believe the stuff that comes out of your mouth?”
“I said it, didn’t I?”
“Would have been nice the last two days,” she muttered.
“Avoiding you was wrong of me.” I wasn’t sure who was more surprised at the apology, her or me, but I ignored the heavy thumps of my heart. “Hold my neck.”
